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Maori Leader Demands ANZAC Apology
Maori Leader Demands ANZAC
Apology
Ngapuhi leader David Rankin has
written to the Federation of Islamic Associations of New
Zealand urging that it officially condemns recent attacks on
the graves of New Zealand soldiers in North
Africa.
“The recent vandalism of these sacred
sites by Islamic activists was an outrage,” says Rankin,
“and yet the New Zealand Muslim community has refused to
condemn it.” Mr. Rankin has written to the
Federation’s chairman asking for a public condemnation of
the war graves attack but has received no
reply.
“We as Maori fought and died in the war as
the price of citizenship. Muslims in New Zealand need to
reflect on what their price of citizenship is,” says Mr.
Rankin. “If the shoe was on the other foot, if a New
Zealander burnt a copy of the Koran, there would be
outrage. Yet when Muslims desecrate that which is sacred
to us, we don’t even get an apology and no condemnation of
this action.”
Mr. Rankin says that his message
for the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand is
a simple one: “in the words of the ANZAC dedication, we
will remember
them.”
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